Intentional Worship: Living a Spirit-Led Life
Summary
In today's gathering, we focused on the profound question of why we come together as a church. Is it merely to attend a service, or is it to genuinely experience and engage with God? This reflection challenges us to examine our intentions and desires when we enter this sacred space. Are we here out of routine, or do we seek a transformative encounter with our Creator? Our church has a reputation for loving generosity, as evidenced by our recent support for orphans and missionaries. This is a testament to our commitment to not just talk about loving Jesus but to actively live it out.
We explored the indescribable nature of God, acknowledging that while metaphors can help us understand aspects of Him, they can never fully encapsulate His essence. This realization should lead us to humility and a deeper response to His greatness, rather than mere discussion. The American church often struggles with applying truth rather than just discussing it. True spiritual growth comes from conviction that leads to action, not just acquiring knowledge.
The sermon emphasized the importance of responding to God's Word. James 1:22 warns against merely hearing the Word and deceiving ourselves. Instead, we must do what it says. Knowing what we ought to do and failing to do it is a sin. Therefore, it's crucial to apply what we learn, as knowledge without action is futile.
We also delved into the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23, which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These qualities should naturally flow from those who are filled with the Spirit. It's not about trying to muster these traits on our own but allowing the Spirit to transform us.
Finally, we were challenged to live a life led by the Spirit, keeping in step with Him in every aspect of our lives. This means surrendering fully to God's will, even when it feels radical or extreme. Our faith should not be about maintaining a safe, balanced life but about wholehearted devotion to God.
Key Takeaways:
- Intentional Worship: Reflect on your purpose for attending church. Are you here out of routine, or do you seek a genuine encounter with God? Let your worship be a heartfelt response to His greatness, not just a ritual. [00:39]
- Indescribable God: Embrace the mystery of God. While metaphors can aid understanding, they cannot fully capture His essence. This should lead to humility and a deeper response to His greatness. [04:41]
- Application of Truth: Knowledge without action is futile. James 1:22 warns against merely hearing the Word and deceiving ourselves. True spiritual growth comes from conviction that leads to action. [07:07]
- Fruit of the Spirit: Allow the Spirit to transform you, producing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These qualities should naturally flow from those filled with the Spirit. [25:01]
- Spirit-Led Life: Surrender fully to God's will, keeping in step with the Spirit in every aspect of life. Our faith should not be about maintaining a safe, balanced life but about wholehearted devotion to God. [34:28]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:16] - Presence of God
- [00:39] - Intentions for Worship
- [01:17] - Responding to God's Word
- [02:25] - Loving Generosity
- [03:38] - Indescribable Nature of God
- [05:13] - Mysteries of God
- [06:23] - Application of Truth
- [08:26] - Knowledge and Sin
- [09:17] - Humility and Response
- [11:36] - Reaching Out to God
- [13:11] - Security in God's Love
- [21:03] - Psalm 145 Reflection
- [25:01] - Fruit of the Spirit
- [34:28] - Spirit-Led Life
- [36:48] - Radical Faith and Surrender
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- James 1:22
- Galatians 5:22-23
- Job 11:7-9
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Observation Questions:
1. According to James 1:22, what is the danger of merely hearing the Word without acting on it? How does this relate to the sermon’s emphasis on applying truth? [07:07]
2. What qualities are listed as the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, and how are these qualities described in the sermon? [25:01]
3. In Job 11:7-9, what is said about the nature of God, and how does this passage challenge our understanding of Him? [05:13]
4. How does the sermon describe the reputation of Cornerstone Church, and what actions have contributed to this reputation? [02:25]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon suggest we should respond to the indescribable nature of God, as described in Job 11:7-9? What does this response look like in practical terms? [05:13]
2. The sermon mentions the importance of living a Spirit-led life. What does it mean to "keep in step with the Spirit," and how might this look in everyday life? [34:28]
3. Reflecting on James 1:22, why might knowledge without action be considered deceptive, and how can this understanding impact our spiritual growth? [07:07]
4. How does the sermon illustrate the concept of loving generosity, and what biblical principles support this practice? [02:25]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your personal reasons for attending church. Are there ways you can shift your focus from routine to seeking a genuine encounter with God? [00:39]
2. Consider the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. Choose one aspect to focus on this month. What specific action could you take to cultivate it in your interactions with others? [25:01]
3. The sermon challenges us to live a life led by the Spirit. Identify one area of your life where you can surrender more fully to God's will. What steps can you take to keep in step with the Spirit in this area? [34:28]
4. How can you apply the principle from James 1:22 in your daily life? Identify a specific truth from Scripture that you know but have not yet acted upon. What is one step you can take this week to put it into practice? [07:07]
5. The sermon highlights the importance of loving generosity. What is one practical way you can demonstrate generosity in your community this week? [02:25]
6. Reflect on the indescribable nature of God as described in Job 11:7-9. How can embracing this mystery lead to a deeper sense of humility and worship in your life? [05:13]
7. Think of a person who tests your patience. What is a short prayer you can say before the next time you interact with that person to help cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in your response? [25:01]
Devotional
Day 1: Intentional Worship
Reflect on your purpose for attending church. Are you here out of routine, or do you seek a genuine encounter with God? Let your worship be a heartfelt response to His greatness, not just a ritual. [00:39]
"Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:28-29, ESV)
Reflection: Consider your motivations for attending church. How can you prepare your heart to genuinely encounter God this week, rather than just going through the motions?
Day 2: Embracing the Mystery of God
Embrace the mystery of God. While metaphors can aid understanding, they cannot fully capture His essence. This should lead to humility and a deeper response to His greatness. [04:41]
"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Romans 11:33, ESV)
Reflection: Think about a time when you tried to fully understand God. How can you embrace the mystery of His nature and allow it to deepen your faith today?
Day 3: Application of Truth
Knowledge without action is futile. James 1:22 warns against merely hearing the Word and deceiving ourselves. True spiritual growth comes from conviction that leads to action. [07:07]
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (James 1:22, ESV)
Reflection: Identify one truth from Scripture that you have learned but not yet applied. What specific step can you take today to put this truth into action?
Day 4: Fruit of the Spirit
Allow the Spirit to transform you, producing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These qualities should naturally flow from those filled with the Spirit. [25:01]
"For the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true, and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord." (Ephesians 5:9-10, ESV)
Reflection: Which fruit of the Spirit do you find most challenging to exhibit? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to cultivate this quality in your life today?
Day 5: Spirit-Led Life
Surrender fully to God's will, keeping in step with the Spirit in every aspect of life. Our faith should not be about maintaining a safe, balanced life but about wholehearted devotion to God. [34:28]
"If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?
Quotes
Did you come in this room to attend a church service, or did you come into this room because you wanted to experience God? And did you come in here going, you know what, I want to just connect, engage with my Creator, tell him how wonderful he is, I want to hear from him and just have him search my heart and show me where I need to change. [00:00:36]
I love what it says in Job chapter 11. I'm going to put on your screen verse 7. It says can you fathom, can you can you fathom the mysteries of God can you probe the limits of the almighty, can you do that can you can you figure out the mysteries of God, can you if you try hard enough can you figure out the limits of God. [00:05:10]
The greatest need in the American church is not greater knowledge but greater conviction, a conviction that actually results in action, that actually causes us to do something. And uh I mean that's why it's so rare there's a lot of biblical scholars a lot of people who know a lot of scripture but it's so rare to find a biblical scholar who actually does a lot with what he knows. [00:06:28]
James 1:22 where he says don't merely be hearers of the word and so deceive yourselves. He goes don't just listen to the word and deceive yourselves do what it says. See and that happens that's happening in churches all across America this morning where people will hear a message and go wow I learned something new about God today in church. [00:06:58]
If you know what you're supposed to do and you don't do it then that's a sin so you're better off if you didn't know it's like well I don't know I know I'm supposed to do that but by hearing more of this stuff you're actually deceiving yourself thinking you're becoming more spiritual, more godly, more pleasing to God by knowing more truth. [00:08:28]
When we hear about these indescribable things about God and how he's beyond us that shouldn't lead us to discussion it should lead us to humility, it should lead us to this response of are you kidding me there's a being like that should change your life. See later on in that same passage in Job verse 12 of chapter 11 says this but a witless man can no more become wise. [00:09:23]
If you reach out to him your life will be brighter than noon day. I love that phrase it's like okay let me just stop fighting and just surrender to him, let me stop trying to figure him out and work so hard at trying to change and get him. If I would just surrender and just say you know what God because you're indescribable because I can't even understand you I'm just going to reach out to you. [00:11:48]
The fruit of the spirit is love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness and self-control. This verse just just keeps flooding my mind I keep thinking about throughout the day it's been so so good for me so good I mean this following good God is so good it's like you know I don't have to worry about all these details let me just focus on what he tells me to do. [00:24:56]
If you are really filled with the spirit here's here's what should be coming out of you love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithless gentleness self-control these things ought to be coming out of your life it's the fruit of the spirit see you can say oh I've got the spirit of God I'm so filled with the spirit well do people see this in your life then. [00:25:52]
Since we live by the spirit let us keep in step with the spirit since we live by the spirit let us get and by the way I'm going to I'm going to preach through Galatians next I'm gonna do one more talk on the holy spirit I'm gonna preach through the book of Galatians because the book of Galatians is so much about the holy spirit anyways. [00:33:48]
I challenge you where where in scripture do you see a balanced life praised because everything I read in here is about this extreme radical what I could have got I'll sell everything for that field for that treasure I'll sell most of it except for you know I gotta I gotta be prudent no the only time I see people who who argue for this you know safe zone is is like Judas. [00:37:24]
I just encourage you some of you you need to sit quietly because that's the way you worship best others of you and your heart is stirring and you just need to scream as loud as you can because that's how you worship best and how you need to worship today some of you man there's so much garbage in your life and until you get rid of it you can't even worship. [00:43:39]
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